The new gender gap: Political parties split on what makes a man ‘masculine’

Arnold Schwarzenegger presented a model of masculinity in “Commando” and the “Terminator” movies, but a survey shows that Democrats who identify as male may prefer to mirror the manners of Fred Rogers from PBS’s “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood.”

A recent Pew Research Center poll found that 53% of Republican men, but only 29% of Democratic men, consider themselves “highly masculine.”

The nonpartisan research group reported this month that Republican men were more likely than Democratic men to embrace stereotypically “masculine” qualities such as confidence, risk-taking, assertiveness and physical strength.

Democrats were more likely to praise traditionally “feminine” qualities such as affectionate behavior, soft speaking and caring about others.

“Taken together, the survey findings suggest that Republicans have more positive views of masculine men,” said Juliana Horowitz, Pew’s senior associate director of social trends research. “And Republican men are more likely than Republican women and Democrats to perceive masculinity as being under attack.”

Ms. Horowitz said Pew based its list of traditionally gendered personality traits on expert consultations and academic literature. She stressed that researchers didn’t present those qualities as “male” or “female” to survey participants and did not define the phrase “highly masculine.” That left Democrats and Republicans to self-identify with the words as they understood them.

The findings polarized several gender advocates who responded to requests for comment.

“I’m not sure what they mean by ‘highly masculine’ or ‘traditional masculinity,’ as the terms themselves have been rooted in toxic masculinity and the suppression of women,” said Ivy Fofie, a feminist media scholar and gender theorist at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles.

She said the traditional masculinity that former President Donald Trump, the Republican presidential nominee, projects is historically the same as toxic masculinity.

“Whether we like it or not, gender is a significant factor in the upcoming elections,” Ms. Fofie said. “Trump’s persona represents the privileged White male, so it is not surprising if ‘traditional males’ lean towards him as a choice.”

Shane Winnings, an Afghanistan War veteran who leads the Christian men’s group Promise Keepers, said Republicans “lean more towards traditional masculinity” than Democrats in a way that appeals to guys who prefer a John Wayne movie to the Ice Capades.

“‘Highly masculine,’ to me, is a male who is looking to lead in every area — someone who does not accept just getting by but wants to excel in everything he does from work to sports to extracurricular activities,” said Mr. Winnings, whose group says traditional men are “under attack.”

He said Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic presidential nominee, and her running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, are demonizing masculinity while supporting the idea that boys can become girls. He said such stances have added to gender confusion and increased depression and suicide risks among young men.

“There is nothing masculine about that, and nothing about that is going to attract your traditional masculine man to support you,” Mr. Winnings said. “I mean, they can’t even tell us what a woman is.”

Others criticized Pew for exaggerating the difference between Charlton Heston lovers and Bob Ross fans. They pointed out that the survey of 6,204 adults, which Pew conducted Sept. 3-15 with a 1.5-percentage-point margin of error, offers only a snapshot of masculinity nationwide.

“I feel a lot of this rhetoric is just to bring tension amongst men and women in America before the election,” said Trevor Beaman, an active-duty Special Forces soldier and trauma awareness advocate.

“I think everyone could be a little bit kinder to each other. If that means I’m more vulnerable as a man and talk about my feelings, then I’m all about it.”

Dueling masculinities

National polling averages show Mr. Trump leading Ms. Harris by double digits among men who plan to vote. Ms. Harris has a similar advantage among female voters.

An NBC News poll released this month found Mr. Trump ahead among men by 16 percentage points nationally in a toss-up election, with 48% of all registered voters planning to vote for him and 48% supporting Ms. Harris.

In the same poll, Ms. Harris had a 14-point advantage among women. Abortion access was cited as a primary reason.

“I would say the Republican Party historically has appealed to more traditionally masculine values, e.g., self-reliance, independence and non-reliance on government assistance,” said Aqualus Gordon, a psychology professor specializing in men’s issues at Maryville College in Tennessee. “This may appeal to some men more than it appeals to women, who may be more compelled by Harris’ messages of togetherness, hope and helping those who need it.”

Election analysts say Mr. Trump has made his biggest inroads among young men and has even cut into Democrats’ traditional advantages among Black and Hispanic men. They note that many men have responded favorably to the Republican’s signature moments of bravado, such as pumping his fist and yelling “fight, fight, fight” after being shot in an assassination attempt in July.

Mr. Trump has bolstered his momentum by sitting for lengthy podcast interviews with influencers such as comedian Theo Von, who has a large following of young men. Conversation topics have ranged from drug addiction to boxing.

Jon Macaskill, a leadership coach and retired Navy SEAL commander, said the two campaigns have appealed to different types of men, leaving room for both to broaden their outreach.

“Trump definitely puts out this super traditional masculine vibe, and that’s going to resonate more with men who identify with that,” said Mr. Macaskill, who hosts the “Men Talking Mindfulness” podcast. “Democrats, on the other hand, are pushing a more inclusive image.”

This month, the Harris-Walz campaign launched an “opportunity agenda for Black men.” It has also promoted a “White Dudes for Harris” coalition and recently staged a photo op of Mr. Walz attempting to load a shotgun.

Democrats tout Mr. Walz and Doug Emhoff, Ms. Harris’ husband, as softer masculine alternatives to Mr. Trump and his running mate, Sen. J.D. Vance of Ohio.

Feminists have praised Mr. Emhoff as a “wife dude,” or a man who derives his identity primarily from supporting his wife’s public career as the breadwinner.

In an interview last month, MSNBC host Jen Psaki credited Mr. Emhoff for modeling a new image of masculinity as the nation’s first male spouse of a vice president.

“Something that has also been an important part, an interesting part of how people have talked about your role here, is how your role has reshaped the perception of masculinity,” said Ms. Psaki, a former White House press secretary. “And I’m not sure you planned on that, but you are an incredibly supportive spouse.”

Mr. Emhoff embraced the label.

“I’ve always been like this,” he told Ms. Psaki. “My dad was like this, and to me, it’s the right thing to do, you know, to support women.”

Officials at Pew, which planned the poll before Ms. Harris became the Democratic nominee, declined to comment on the election.

They noted that just 25% of men and women surveyed said they believe people have primarily negative views of “manly or masculine” men, whether they be Mr. Trump or Mike Tyson.

Another 43% told Pew they believe people have primarily positive views, and 31% said they believe most people’s views are neutral.

Ideology and gender

According to Pew, ideology and gender affected whether survey participants preferred a hard-kicking Chuck Norris or a gentle-hearted Charlie Brown.

“Most adults think the genders are different, but Democrats and women cite societal differences, while Republicans and men point to biological differences as explaining them,” Ms. Horowitz said.

Among the 42% of all men who identified as “highly masculine,” 68% of conservative Republican men embraced the label, compared with 38% of moderate and liberal Republicans, she said.

On the other side, 37% of moderate and conservative Democratic men identified as “highly masculine,” compared with just 20% of liberal Democrats. That left a 40-point gap between conservative Republicans and liberal Democrats on the question.

In questions posed to both genders, most respondents said society does not place “enough value on men who are caring, open about their emotions, soft-spoken or affectionate.” Democrats and women were more likely than Republican men to agree with that sentiment.

Republican men were the most likely to say assertiveness, confidence, risk-taking and physical strength are undervalued.

Such findings suggest wide partisan gaps among men, but the femininity gap among women was much smaller. Among the 35% of women surveyed who identified as “highly feminine,” 38% of Republican women and 32% of female-identifying Democrats embraced the label.

Pew said conservative women were the most likely to identify as “highly feminine.”

Clinical psychologist Meaghan Mobbs, an analyst at the conservative Independent Women’s Forum, noted that liberals haven’t labeled traditional wives “toxic” in the same way as manly men.

She said Republicans could do more to reach out to this large segment of suburban women who understand that a Rocky Balboa is still needed to protect a society dominated by Homer Simpsons.

“We need assertive risk-takers who are physically strong,” Ms. Mobbs said. “It is men who embodied those very traits that settled the West, stormed the beaches at Normandy [and] landed on the moon.”